Drawings with colored pencils professionally. Drawing with crayons ⋆ Drawing Blog

I am glad to present you a new course "Drawing with colored pencils" based on the book "It's easy to draw with colored pencils" author Ilin Sorg (original title - "Drawing made easy: Colored pencil" by Eileen Sorg).

The course consists of 4 theoretical lessons in which you will learn the basic techniques for drawing with colored pencils and 22 practical step-by-step lessons drawing with colored pencils various objects.

I decided to take this course with you, so along the way I will make my comments and show my work. I will highlight my notes and observations in blue.

To all creative success and patience! Let's get started.

Introduction

Colored pencils have come a long way from the tools we used in primary school... Artists all over the world take this little pigmented wooden stick and create galleries of their work. Colored pencils have many useful properties for both beginners and experienced artists. They are portable, inexpensive, non-toxic, convenient, and absolutely irreplaceable. Anything can be achieved with pencils artistic style, from light sketches to photorealistic paintings. You are only limited by your imagination and desire.

I have always considered myself a draftsman at heart, but have been captivated by colored pencils since I met them many years ago. I am passionate about drawing lines and the many ways that line can describe the world around us. My curiosity and perseverance led me to the need to develop my skills in order to show myself and my own unique style on the paper. In this book, I intend to teach you the basics of crayon drawing and give you the confidence to keep improving your skills. I hope that these step by step lessons will kindle the same fire within you that lit up in me many years ago, and then you will continue to study drawing with colored pencils to find your artistic voice.

Materials and tools

Work with colored pencils and requires very few accessories, many of the below can be found at home. As your skills develop, you can add more and more tools to your arsenal and expand your palette of colors.

Pencils

There are three main types of colored pencils. I use wax crayons, but there are also oil and watercolors. Each type has its own characteristics, so it's best to experiment. Many shops sell pencils by the piece so you can try and find the exact ones you want.

Personally, I have watercolor pencils Kooh-I-Noor 36 colors. I will use them. To begin with, I advise you to make a palette of all the colors that you have in your set. Just draw a plate on a piece of paper, preferably of the same quality on which you will draw. Make small swatches of all colors and sign the numbers. This will be much more convenient when choosing a color, because the color of the lead or the pencil body itself does not convey the true color and saturation. When I swatched, I immediately noticed that some pencils are softer and brighter, and some are harder and paler. Swatch is best done with different clicks.

If you do not have the opportunity to purchase pencils in your city, then you can always order them online.

For example, here are a few sets that are perfect for completing these lessons:

1. A budget option- Colored pencils Lyra "Osiris Aquarell", watercolor, 36 colors. These pencils are perfect for beginners to learn the basics and try their hand at drawing.

2. For those who want to do more professional work, it is better not to skimp and buy Faber-Castell professional pencils. This set consists of 36 colors, which should be enough to get you started.

3. Well, and the last option for those who are not enough 36 colors - Watercolor pencils ART GRIP AQUARELLE, a set of colors, in a metal box, 60 pcs. This is my dream set!

Erasers

Successful erasing of blots from colored pencil depends on two factors: the color of the pencil line and the pressure with which it was drawn. Dark colors tend to stain the paper and are more difficult to erase. Heavy lines are also difficult to clean up, especially on crumpled paper. I usually use a nag eraser (in the picture above, center). When applied, it captures particles of graphite without damaging the paper or smearing the drawing, unlike a conventional eraser. For tricky areas, use the battery-powered eraser (bottom right). Do not use rubber or vinyl erasers when working with colored pencils as friction between the paper and the rubber band can actually melt the wax pigment and flatten the surface of the paper.

I have a regular double-sided eraser. Let's see how she behaves in the process of drawing with colored pencils.

I also recently purchased a nag eraser. It turned out to be quite convenient to use it.

Sharpeners

You can achieve different effects depending on how dull or sharp your pencil is, but you usually want your pencils to be sharp at all times. I rarely use pocket sharpeners (in the middle picture) because they tend to break the tip of the pencil and hack wood, but some artists love them. I prefer the good electric hitchhiking sharpeners (left) because they plan quickly and cleanly, and the hitchhiking helps prevent sharpening. If you plan to work outdoors, the battery-powered sharpener (right) is the way to go. You can also use sandpaper to sharpen the tip of the pencil.

I had a regular pocket pencil sharpener that sharpens pencils well. The main thing is that it should be at least new, not dull.

I also recently ordered a mechanical sharpener via the Internet. She planes perfectly and fits into the interior of my work area 🙂 I advise you to take a closer look.

Color mixing pencils (blenders)

These are the same colored pencils, only without the pigment. They create a smooth, radiant shade. After applying two or more layers different colors, work with these pencils to blend colors together. The surface of the paper will get a little slippery after using the blender, so no matter how many colors you add on top, they will blend easily. This technique is called "polishing" and is very useful when depicting luminous or wet surface... You can also use blending sticks or colorless markers.

I don't have blenders yet, but I do have shading sticks. But, unfortunately, I couldn't shade the colored watercolor pencils. But they shade a simple pencil very well.

Paper

The choice of paper is the most important factor, on which the quality of work depends. Many papers do not meet the color layering requirements, so it is best to take the time to test new paper before starting a big project. If you are using watercolor pencils, then use watercolor paper as well. For highly detailed work, I use hot-pressed watercolor paper, which has a very smooth surface, perfect for drawing subtle details. For work where many additional layers may be needed, I use sandpaper designed for painting with pastels. You can use a rougher paper with granules for landscapes or other textured objects. Always use acid-free paper for your drawings, otherwise it will turn yellow over time. For practice outside the home, it is convenient to use a sketchbook or drawing pad. Experiment.

It is very convenient to use a sketchbook, which you can always and everywhere carry with you and do your favorite thing at any free moment. I ordered mine.

Rulers

Use rulers to mark out the area of ​​your drawing. Never neglect them when you need to draw solid, straight lines, such as buildings.

Art tape

Use tape to stick the paper to the surface you are drawing on, such as a table or easel. This type of tape is acid-free and can be easily removed from the surface of the paper without any damage. But even using this tape, be careful.

Additional tools

Use a dustbrush to gently remove the remaining pencil from the surface of the paper, as brushing away with your hand risks smearing everything, and blowing can get drool into the drawing. You may want to purchase a finishing spray.

So, we figured out the tools. Let's now move on to learning the basics of color theory.

Drawing with colored pencils is a lot like using a black lead pencil.

But there are a few specific features here.

1. Possesses color transparency.

2. Complexity and subtlety of color is achieved by overlaying several colors.

3. Experience in drawing with a simple pencil is required.

4. Colored pencil is hard to erase with an eraser.

The techniques used are also very similar, so let's take a look at them.

1) Shadows and toning
When creating shadows and tones, make linear movements from side to side. And don't forget to vary the pressure on the pencil to create different color saturations.

2) Hatching
Hatch with fast, repeating lines, leaving small gaps between them. When crosshatching, overlay lines at the desired angle. You can use different colors or shading in several layers to give the desired structure.

3) Curls
The desired surface or shade can also be created using circular repeating lines drawn with one or several pencils.

4) Directional lines
Short lines directed along the contour or in the direction of the hair (grass, fire), located close to each other, can create quite interesting effects.

5) Layers
Lay the layers of color one on top of the other. The line left by the colored pencil is transparent, this will help us achieve an interesting effect.

6) Engraving
Engraving - two large layers are placed on top of each other, after which upper layer neatly thinned out with a blade or pin, so that the bottom protrudes.

7) Polishing
Polishing is created by dense overlap of several color layers, so that there are no bright spots, i.e. the surface of the paper was completely filled with color.

Experiment with different techniques to learn what they are and get the best results.

Color drawing requires paper good quality with a fairly rough surface. Again, experiment with the types of paper to find out the properties of each. Good quality pencils are also needed, with a bright, clean and even color. An excellent example of such pencils is the STABILO All line. With these pencils, you will truly enjoy your drawing.

The eagle is a bird of prey with a large body, strong legs, long wings, sharp claws, short tail, massive beak and large eyes with good vision. All these features allow him to soar high in the sky for a long time, consider future prey and easily attack. Therefore, you should definitely learn how to draw an eagle, because it is quite common in Eurasia, Africa and North America.

Required materials for drawing such a bird:

Decorys

An owl is a nocturnal bird that hunts at this particular time of day. And all this thanks to big eyes who see well in the dark. It will not be difficult to draw an owl. Especially if it's in a cartoon version.

Necessary materials:

Decorys

Nowadays, you can find not only ordinary forest urchins but also home. They look very similar to their wild relatives, but have slightly different features that help them live well at home. So let's learn how to draw a beloved hedgehog that has needles on its back, and also knows how to curl into a spiky ball.

Any drawing begins with a sketch, where you need to determine the overall size of an animal or object, and then move on to drawing large details. If you are drawing a hedgehog, then at the first stage it will be enough to draw a large oval. Gradually simple geometric figure will take on a natural look, with spiky needles, short legs and an elongated muzzle with small features.

Required materials for drawing a hedgehog:

Decorys

The deer is the real pride of the forest. After all, no animal has such a "crown". In addition, the deer is a very graceful mammal. Therefore, it is very difficult to draw it in dynamics. So for the first acquaintance with him, we will learn how to draw a cute cloven-hoofed animal in a simple pose. The structure of the head and body is very similar to that of a horse, but there are some differences. For example, a graceful and short body, a short small tail, branchy chic horns and a small head. All of these traits make the deer a personality that provides inspiration to learn how to draw.

Necessary materials:

Decorys

It is possible at any time of the year, because they are very beautiful. For example, how to draw a swallow. The main part of the body is no different from other birds, but the tail is long and has a slit in the middle. Therefore, it resembles a fork. Also, you can notice another feature of this bird - the wings, which are curved, sharp and long. The color of the swallow will be very simple in the picture. To paint it, it will be enough to have three colored pencils - black, red and Brown color... Optionally, it can be supplemented with other shades.

Required art materials for drawing a swallow:

Decorys

Santa Claus and his granddaughter Snegurochka often dazzle on postcards and all kinds of tree decorations... However, there are other wonderful and good heroes... For example, a snowman. You can draw a snowman not only in the form of three circles, but also make interesting illustration... In it, we beautifully place the main character on this album sheet. We "dress" him in a hat and a scarf. V right hand we place a gift, and in the left - a broom. We supplement the drawing with small elements and paint with bright colors. So we get a drawing of a snowman on New Year 2018.

The sparrow is a very small bird that does not stand out very much with its feather color or singing. However, it is a very common bird in the forest, in the park, in the yards or in your own garden. Therefore, you probably saw such a small sparrow.

Learn to draw a sparrow

To learn how to draw a bird, you should determine its main features and be sure to capture them on paper in the sketching stages before applying strokes with colored pencils. When drawing, do not forget that it is small in appearance, it has a short tiny beak and small legs. except correct proportions due time should be given to coloring the picture so that the color turns out to be natural, like a real bird. To do this, select as much as possible different shades brown pencils. Bring a black charcoal pencil with you to color in the eye, some feathers, and stroke.

Necessary materials:

Learning how to paint correctly with colored and regular pencils

Writing and drawing are very similar activities. Therefore, most people hold a pencil in the same way as a pen — between their thumb and first two fingers, closer to the tip of the pencil. But remember - a well-sharpened pencil tip easily breaks and crumbles with strong pressure. It is not necessary to put pressure on the pencil, as when writing with a pen.
This method makes it easy to manipulate the pencil and is ideal for specific techniques such as linear and cross-hatching.

To make the drawing more expressive, lively and light, let's try to hold the pencil further from the end.
It is more convenient to do picturesque energetic lines or feathering by pressing the rod from above with your index finger.
"Re-capture" - the method can be useful for shading and feathering. The pencil is placed on the brush and pressed with the thumb.
In this case, the movements are short, with the whole brush.

Another way to re-capture.
Pencil tip movements are made with the entire brush.

In the academic school of drawing there is " The right way holding a pencil ". It is convenient for artists to use this method when they are standing at the easel. In this case, the hand is overhang and the work requires the movement of the entire hand. It does not cover the drawing and it is not overwritten in the process.

Advice! When artists paint at the table (on a horizontal plane), they always put a sheet of blank paper under their arm - "Substrate". The liner helps to avoid "rubbing" of the paper and protects the finished part of the drawing.

Lesson two:
HATCH AND CARBINATION
There are two basic techniques for toning drawings.
Hatching is the drawing of strokes (lines) of different thickness and pressure at a certain distance from each other. Lines can be straight and curved, short or long, overlapping each other in several layers at different angles, forming a mesh.

Feathering is a uniform (or with gradation) "filling" of the surface with a pencil without gaps between the lines.
This can be as simple as rubbing the pencil over the surface of the paper to create a solid tone of varying intensity.
Sometimes pieces of paper, cotton wool, suede, your own finger, etc. are used for this.

LEARNING TO HATCH

In order for the hand to obediently apply strokes in the right direction and with a certain force of pressure, the hand must be trained! Developing hand firmness, strength and timeliness of pressure requires hours of exercise!
Let's do some exercises to master basic technique drawing - toning with a pencil. Do not be upset if the first time it turned out not very nice. A little patience and you will see the result yourself!

EXERCISE 1. GENERAL HATCHING
Take a landscape-sized sheet of paper, a simple TM or HB pencil and draw 4 rectangles by hand (without a ruler).

Shade the first rectangle evenly, using only one angle of inclination.
In others, the angle of inclination is changed. We try to make the distances between the lines even!
The pressure on the pencil is the same!

EXERCISE 2. HATCHING WITH DIFFERENT GRADATIONS
Draw two (maybe more!) Rectangles.
Learning to make strokes with different pressure
Strong pressure at the beginning of the stroke and very weak (almost without touching the paper with the pencil) at the end.
And now so that the strokes gradually increase and then also smoothly weaken and come to naught.

We hold the pencil in our hand freely, as if making waves. In this case, the wrist should work very well.
The lines must be drawn without lifting the pencil from the paper!
The sheet must not be rotated!
Do not forget to keep the same (or proportional) distances between the lines!
EXERCISE 3. SOFT INCREASE OF GRADATIONS
Shade a long rectangle, evenly thickening the tone from light to dark.
Try to achieve its maximum flat gain.

Avoid rubbing strokes into spots and try not to use shading just yet.

These techniques can be used individually or together.
When practicing or painting, try to avoid mechanical shading or shading. Always think about the nature of the surface, shape and volume of objects.
It is necessary to learn how to correctly convey chiaroscuro, the gradation of chiaroscuro of colored objects in the drawing.
Develop a sense of tone strength and skill when shading a drawing with a pencil.
see the strength of shadow and contrast ratios in shading. Using the shading technique, try to convey the texture of the surface in the drawing.

Pencils are familiar to us from childhood. And we do not treat them seriously. However, look at what masterpieces the artists paint.

Colored pencils are great graphic material! They are easy to manage, which means they can achieve a variety of effects.

Colored pencils Susie Ruby, Katy Ferreira, Teresa Mallen

Do you want the same?

Then you should master basic techniques drawing with colored pencils. Read and exercise!

7 ways to draw with colored pencils:

1. Hatching

You can work with a pencil in different ways: tightly laying loose strokes to each other to get an even color, or making strokes with the tip of a pencil, leaving small gaps between them.

Both methods are good, it is important - where it is applied.

Perform regular arm movements in one direction. Keep the same distance between strokes.

To be able to make colors of different lightness is a very important skill. It is even more important to be able to make a gradual transition of the lightness of the shade.

You can change the shade from light to dark by changing the pressure on the pencil.

Try shading a strip, at first just barely touching the surface of the paper, and then increasing the pressure on the pencil more and more.

What you need to be able to do well with pencils, see this broadcast of Periscope:

3. Hue change

Colored pencils give transparent strokes. If they are superimposed one on top of the other, the color will be optically mixed. This is used to change the shade of a color.

Thus, even with a small set of pencils, complex color shades can be obtained by superimposing one color on another.

The same effect will be obtained with looser shading. Only in this case the structure of the spot will be more airy, textured.

To make the shading look aesthetically pleasing, do it with uniform strokes with the same pressure and direction.

It is better to apply two different color layers at an acute angle in relation to each other. However, sometimes the angle of inclination of the strokes can be exactly the same.

4. Infusion of color into color

It will turn out if you combine 2 techniques: a light stretch (point 2) and a change in shades (point 3).

As a result, you will achieve a more varied gradation of color overflows.

More interesting and useful information about drawing
by artist Marina Trushnikova
You will find it in the online magazine Life in Art.

Receive issues of the magazine to your e-mail!

5. Decorative techniques

Patterns, ornaments, smaller color spots can be applied over large light spots.

In this case, the main thing to remember is the law of optical color mixing. If you superimpose opposite colors on each other: yellow and purple, red and green, blue and orange, you get a gray or dirty shade.

6. Accepting a white line reservation

This technique has been shown. Christina uses this technique to sign works.
It's very simple and effective.

Take a non-writing pen and draw something with it, pushing through the paper. The pen leaves a trail - a groove, into which, with further shading, the color does not fall. A white line remains. This way you can create subtle light patterns:

I think this technique is familiar to you from childhood. You need to take an object with a relief surface, put it UNDER a sheet of paper, and then on top make shading with a pencil where the object lies.

Hatching will reveal the relief of the convex surface. I used what was at hand: a flat comb and coins.

But you can find other surfaces: wood, stone, brickwork and other things. The main thing is that the sheet is not too dense and squeezes when shading.

I spoke in more detail about the frotting technique in the Periscope broadcast:

Master classes